Steering mechanism.



. Ba lii@9 B. IGBYKL C. S. JOHNSN., STEERING MEGHANISM. APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 10, 1913.

Patented Jan. 26, 935.

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C. B. KING, B. JAGOBY L C. S. JOHNSN.

STEERING MEGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 1o, 1913.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

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sns PATENT oracion.

CHARLES B. KING, BENJAMIN JACOBY, AND CHARLES S. JOHNSON, OF MARION, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE MARION STEAM SHOVEL COMPANY, OF MARION, OHIO, A COR- PORATION OF OHIO.

specification of Letters Patent.

- STEERING MECHANISM.

Patented dan. 26, 1915..

Application led Novemberl, 1913. Serial No. 800,072.-

T0 all whom it may concern Y Be it known that we, CHARLES B. KING, BENJAMIN JAcoBY,and CHARLES S. J'onN- soN, citizens of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Marion, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Mechanism, of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had -therein to the ac.-l companying drawing. f'

great owing to the weight of the machine and the condition of the surface over which it is traveling.

The object of the presentinvention is to provide mechanism for actuating both trucks to simultaneously impart steering` movement thereto; to provide mechanism whichwill impart a powerful turning thrust upon the truck or trucks; andfurther, to provide such a mechanism which will be simple and strong in its construction, positive in its action, and which will be so constructed and arranged that there will be no liability of its binding or becoming locked against movement. g

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the two steeringtrucks o f a steam shovel showing our invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view of the frame of such a shovel showing our invention in elevation; and Fig. Sis a sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 2. In these drawingswe have illustrated one embodiment of our invention and have shown the same as applied to a double truck steam shovel in which both trucks are pivotally mounted and constitute steering trucks. It will be understood, however, that the invention is applicable to machines of various kinds and that the term steering truck as herein employed is not to be limited to the particular truck shown in the drawings but is intended to include an supporting structure for a wheel whic structure is capable of steering movement, and further, while it is one of the objects of the invention to provide a steering device which will impart-steering movement to both trucks, and the invention has been so shown in the diawings, it will be understood that many features of the invention and the principal parts `of the mechanism are applicable to a single truck as completely and as readily as to the two steering trucks.

In these drawings we have illustrated the trucks as comprising truck frames, 1, eachA of which has a series of arms 2, which arms are arranged in pairs to support-axles 3 on which are mounted traction wheels 4. Each truck is connected with the main frame of the machine by means of a vertical pin or king bolt 5 which permits steering movementv to be imparted thereto. IVe have not shown the connection between the trucks and the frames, other than to show the pin itself, because this connection, as well as the frame and the parts cariied thereby form no part of the present invention and may be of any suitable or well known construction. In order that the power employed for steering purposes may be utilized to the best possible advantage we prefer to transmit this power to the steering trucks through levers, and, to this end, we have provided each truck with inwardly extending arms or levers 6. v Ars here shown the arms or levers are in the form of V-shaped yokes having the arms thereof connected with the respective trucks and converging inwardly, that is, the arms forming the yoke of the forward truck converge rearwardly and the arms forming the yoke for the rear truck converge forwardlyiV An actuating device is supported near the inner ends of the yokes or arms and is adapted to impart transverse movement to the inner ends of both yokes simultaneously and in the same direction. This actuating device ymay be of any suitable construction but in the present instance we have shown itin the form of a cross head 7 having a screw-threaded aperture 8 extending transversely to the direction of travel of the machine. Mounted in the screw-threaded aperture of the cross head is a screw shaft 9 journaled at its opposite ends in bearing brackets 10, which brackets are supported from suitable parts of the main frame, or

arms or yokes of the two trucks may be connected with lthe cross head in any suitable manner but the connection must be such as to permit it to accommodate itself to the movement of the cross head and to the vertical movement. ofthe trucks as they travel over an uneven supporting surface. `vTo this end we have pivotally connected the two arms of each yoke to the respective truck frames, as shown at 11, and have slidably 10 connected these yokes with the cross head sothat the connection will be lengthened or shortened as the cross' head travels back and forth. To this end the two parts or arms forming each yoke are rigidly connected at their inner ends and are provided with a longitudinal opening or guideway `12 in which is slidably mounted a connecting rod 13, the inner end of which is connected with i the cross head 7, this connection preferably the cross head as the former is displaced 'vertil ldirectly or indirectly from any of the en,

gines or prime movers included in thecally during its travel; and further, the connection vwill adjust itself both in positionl and in length to the travel of the cross head Ialong the screw-shaft 9. Rotary movement ymay -be imparted to the screw-shaft in any suitable manner and, in the present instance, we have shown it as provided on one end with a bevel gear 19 meshing with a corre- -sponding gear 20.on a shaft'21 which is journaled in a bearing 22 carried. by a bracket 23 suspended from the .frame of the machine and which shaft is connected with a suitable source of ower. This source of power may, if desire be a separate steering engine or the power may be derived either 'shovel mechanism. Inasmuch as the source of power for actuating the steering mechanism does not form a party of the invention it has not been thought necessary to illustrate and describe the same.d

A fixed guide ,is preferably provided for the cross head 17 to maintain the same always in proper relation to thescrew shaft, and thus prevent its binding thereon, and to receive the strain imposed upon the cross head and thus relieve the screw shaft of this,

` strain and thereby. preventing, not'only the binding of the cross ,head but permanent injury thereto due to abnormalstrains imposed upor the steering mechanism. In the present forni ofthe mechanism this guide comprises a guide bar 24 rigidly secured at its ends to the brackets 10 whichsupport lthe screw shaft and iit into. a recess 25 v `mechanism which is highly `efiicient in its operation; which will simultaneously impart movement to the two trucks; which will exert a 'powerful thrust upon the steering truck, due to the lever connections between the actuating device and the truck; which is very simple-in its construction and operationand which is efectually prevented from binding or becoming distorted in such a. manner as to interfere with its operation.

It will be'urrderstood that while. we have shown and described the mechanism as driven from an engine `or other suitable source of power it is Wholly capable' of manual operation, particularly when used ,1n Vconnection with the smaller sizes of machines, whether these machines be excavating machines or machines of other types.

Whlle we have shown and described one embodimentof our invention we wish it Yto be understood that this has been chosen for i the purpose of illustration only and that ,f

we do not desire to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will vskilled in the art. v

occur to a person Having thus fully describedour invention, whatwe claim as new and desirevto secure by Letters Patent, is v l. The combination with a steering. truck, having anl inwardly extending arm, .of a screw shaft extending transversely to 'said arm, a cross head mounted on said Lshaft and operativelg .connected with said arm and means to. o

ld said cross head against.

lateral displacement and relieve said shaft y from transverse strains. y y

2..The combination with steering trucks, havlng `inwardly extendin arms, a screw shaft extending transverse y to said arms near the inner ends thereof, a .cross head mounted "on said shaft and operatively connected with saidarms anda` guide to'hold said cross head againstlateral displacement and prevent the samev fromexertmg eleteral strain upon said screw shaft.

.3. The combination, wlth a steeri having an in wardly Vextending arm, of an actuating device, means to impart transverse ng truck movement to said actuating device, and a universal pivotal connection betweenl said .i actuating device and said arm.

4. The combination with steering trucks having inwardly extending arms, of a screw shaft extending transversely to said arms,

a cross .head mounted on said shaft ,for

movement lengthwise thereof, said arms being connected with said cross head for l0 movement about both the transverse and horizontal axes,'a guide. to hold said cross head against lateral displacement and prevent the same from exerting transverse strains on said screw shaft.

5. The combination with a steering truck having an inwardly projecting arm provided with a slideway, of an actuating meinber, means for moving said actuating member transversely to saidfslideway, and a connecting rod`connected with said actuating member for movement about both horizontal and transverse axes relatively thereto, and mounted in said slideway.

6. The combination with a steering truck having an inwardly projecting arm provided with a slideway, of a screwv shaft extending transversely to said slideway, a cross head mounted on said shaft, adapted to be moved by the rotation thereof, a connecting rod having one end pivotally connected with said cross head for movement labout both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis relatively thereto, and mounted in said slideway.

7. The combination with a steering truck having an inwardly'projecting arm provided with a slideway, of a screw shaft extending transversely to said slideway, a cross head mounted on said shaft and adapta0 ed to be moved by the rotation thereof, a

connecting rod having one end' connected with' said cross head for movement about both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis relatively thereto, and mounted in said 45 slideway, and a fixed guide to cause said cross head 4to move in a line substantiall parallel with the axis of said screw shaft and prevent lateral or twisting strains on said screw shaft.

8. The combination with a steering truck having an inwardly projecting arm provided with a slideway, of a screw shaft extending transversely to said slideway, a crosshead mounted on said shaft and 55 adapted to be moved by the rotation thereof,

a connecting rod having one end connected with said cross head for movement about both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis relative thereto, and mounted in said slideway, and a guide bar coperating withsaid cross headI to cause it to move in a line substantially parallel wlth the axis of said screw shaft and prevent lateral of twisting strains on said Shaft, one of said parts being recessed to receivel the other of said parts.

. 9. The combination, with a steering truck, a yoke pivotallyconnected with said 'connecting member pivotally connected with said cross head on a vertical axis and slidably mounted in said slideway, and a guide bar rigidly mounted adjacent to and parallel with said screw shaft, said cross head having a recess to'receive said guide bar.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with a frame, a pair of steering trucks connected with said frame, inwardly extending larms connected with the respective trucks and each having a guideway arranged inthe line of movement of said trucks, a screw shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, a cross head mounted on said shaft, connecting members connected with said cross head and slidably mounted in said guideways, said cross head having a recess in the upper portion thereof, and a guide bar rigidly secured to said frame and extending into said recess.

11. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a frame, a pair of steering trucks connected with said frame, inwardly extending arms vconnected with the respective trucks and each having a. guideway arranged in the 'line of movement of said trucks, a screw shaft rotatably v mounted on said frames, .a cross head on said shaft, connecting members connected with said cross head for movement about both a horizontal axis and a vertical axis relatively thereto and said connecting members being slidably mounted in said guideways, said cross head having a recess in the upper portion thereof, and a guide bar' rigidly secured to said frame and extending in said recess. Y

12. rllhe combination, with a steering truck, a yoke pivotally connected to said truck on a horizontal axis and having a longitudinal guideway, a screw shaft, a cross head mounted on said screw shaft, and a connectin member connected to said cross head on oth a horizontal and a vertical axis and slidably mounted in said guideway.

ln testimony whereof, we aiix our signaturesl in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES B. KING. BENJAMlN JACOBY. CHARLES S. JOHNSUN.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS BANELL JENNINGS, HERBERT E. Rouen. 

